Dovetailed on the theme “Farming Innovations and Quality Seed−Key to Profitable Farming and Global Competitiveness”, the biennial national scientificconference gathered some 300 researchers, development and extension workers, heads of the academe and research institutions, and international experts coming from agriculture sector. The participants actively joined in the conference and listened to talks, viewed posters and research papers presentations from different areas of crop science.

The occasion was graced by Senator Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, and Dr. Edel Guiza, Undersecretary for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization, Office of the President, as keynote speakers.

FCSSP sought to provide a venue to acquire and exchange knowledge in the broad spectrum of the agriculture sector and to address the most pressing agriculture issues through various activities such as scientific paper and poster presentations, study tours, agri-entrepreneurs’ forum, and best poster and best paper competitions.

This year’s conference was chaired by the Philippine Seed Industry Association Inc., with support from the Department of Agriculture, the Pampanga State Agricultural University, among others.

During the said occasion, the new Board of Directors of the Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines (FCSSP) for Year 2015-2017 took their oath of office before Dr. Lilian Pateña of the University of the Philippines Los Baños who once served the Federation as President.

Prof. Acedo was again elected to the Board. Currently, she is the Vice President of FCSSP for 2014-2015 and the Philippine Association for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology, Inc. (PAPTCB) for 2014-2016.